1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the freezing of containers and, more particularity, to an apparatus for use in flash freezing of drinking glasses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Patrons to restaurants and drinking establishments have become accustomed to the use of frosted drinking glasses for holding such beverages as beer, cola, mixed drinks and so forth. Typically, frosting of a drinking glass is performed by placing the drinking glass in a freezer for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight, and withdrawing the drinking glass when needed. A problem with conventional freezer employment is the need for custom shelving must be installed within the freezer to provide proper arrangement in that the frosted glasses can be removed while unfrosted glasses can be inserted for treatment. Thus, the arrangement within the freezer must be systematic so that the insertion of a warm glass will not be placed next to a fully frosted glass as the warmth will melt the frost. Not only is the aforementioned arrangement difficult to orchestrate, those who work in such establishments fully understand that access to the freezer by more than one person makes continued organization nearly impossible.
In most drinking establishments, a conventional chest freezer is utilized for frosting of beer mugs. The chest freezers are over three feet wide and five feet long having a top that is either hinged or custom designed using sliding sectional sections. The physical size of the freezer makes it necessary to position on the floor wherein the top of the freezer is actually used as part of the countertop. In operation, an employee bends over the freezer opening to reach into the freezer every time a frosted mug is retrieved or inserted into the freezer. If the establishment is busy, the operator may bend over the freezer several hundred times a day leading to obvious back problems. In addition, the opening of a larger freezer door to obtain a single drinking glass is inefficient as a large volume of cool air will escape every time the freezer door is opened.
Large freezers are not capable of efficiently flash freezing requiring the drinking glasses to remain overnight if a hard frost is desirous and the establishment must carry a large number of drinking glasses. Further, the more freshly washed glasses returned to the freezer, the higher the risk that the warm glasses will ruin the previously frosted glasses by melting or otherwise softening the frost. Finally, a conventional freezer is not capable of adjusting the amount of frost on the drinking glasses and is otherwise ill suited for treating small numbers of drinking glasses.
A number of attempts have been made for frosting individual drinking glasses. The problem with such art is that the majority of devices are designed for use with liquid refrigerant that is directed across the surface of the container causing rapid condensation and formation of ice. Such release of refrigerant is dangerous to the operator as it is capable of freezing human flesh upon contact. In addition, a number of devices use Freon R-12 refrigerant which has been linked to the depletion of the ozone layer causing most nations to severely regulate the release of the gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,579 issued to Federighi discloses a portable device for chilling containers by spraying pressurized liquid refrigerant onto the surface of the container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,624 issued to Taylor discloses yet another device for chilling containers by the use of liquid refrigerant spraying onto the surface of the container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,749 issued to Bounds et al., discloses still another device for chilling containers by the use of liquid refrigerant such as Freon or carbon dioxide onto the surface of the container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,008 issued to Kelley discloses a glass frosting device that frosts both the inner and outer surface of the container by the dispersion of carbon dioxide. U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,888 issued to Roslonski discloses yet still another glass frosting device by the controlled dispersion of carbon dioxide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,697 issued to Cherbland discloses an apparatus for frosting drinking glasses by directing carbon dioxide in a liquid-gaseous state to the inner surface of a container causing the internal cooling of the latter and the formation of the frost by adding air moisture which freezes to the outer surface of the container.
While there have been a number of attempts to frost drinking glasses, the prior art lacks an apparatus that is small enough to place upon a countertop, as quick as spraying refrigerant directly onto a container, capable of providing layers of frost, and friendly to the environment in terms of energy efficient and reusable. It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of these needs and problems associated therewith that the present invention is directed.